The Shrouds (2024)

A wealthy entrepreneur (Vincent Cassel, appearing very Cronenberg-y here) creates high tech grave plots that allow you to monitor the body after death, deep into decomposition. He chooses to mourn his wife in this way, preparing to be enshrouded beside her, were it not for a few hiccups along the way.

This is a very complicated movie to describe, and similarly, my feelings on it are multifaceted. It evokes a mood more than anything. There are mysteries abound that pass by and go unresolved. I suppose it's a film reflecting the endless unanswered questions that we create as part of the grieving process.

3 AI assistants out of 5

The Brutalist (2024)

A Hungarian architect displaced by the war struggles to make the American dream when he comes upon a wealthy family looking to commission an ambitious project. This is an incredibly gripping drama for sure, but for a nearly four hour epic, I almost wish I came away with a better understanding of the characters and themes. It all feels like a hodge-podge of ideas at times. I didn't experience any grand epiphany or an intimate sense of character; it's more about the hardships and the massive undertaking at the center of it. While it's not necessarily what I was expecting, there's no denying the quality of the craft involved: Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones are at the top of their game, Brady Corbet's direction feels assured, and the stark score by Daniel Blumberg is apropos. Also, I'm proud of myself for making it to intermission without needing to take a pee break. It certainly gives you plenty to think about in the margins.

4 unfulfilled handjobs out of 5

Spinning Man (2018)

Pierce Brosnan plays a respectful but resolute detective who's investigating the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old girl, last seen near a lake that college professor Evan Birch (Guy Pearce) had reason to be close to on the day in question. Birch outright denies the accusations, but his weak memory envelops his movements with an air of doubt for both police and viewer.
It resembles a Nordic crime thriller, which makes sense when you consider that director Simon Kaijser da Silva is Swedish, but the distinctive Nordic approach doesn't work quite as well in a US environment. Also, while the professor's lectures on philosophical approaches to truth play into the plot, their use isn't compelling enough to permeate the overall feeling.

2½ apropos talks out of 5

Rules of Engagement (2000)

From a bloody war in Vietnam, to a bloodbath in the Yemen years later, and finally to a politically dodgy court room in America, Colonel Terry Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) stands up for what he believes in.
A retired Col Lawrence (Tommy Lee Jones) stands with him, although he has doubts about his ability to get the job done favourably.
Leaving aside the supposed flag-waving that some folks accused Dir. William Friedkin of, RoE isn't a bad film, but nor is it a particularly memorable example of the courtroom drama. The dramatic combat scenes fare better, but by the time the final verdict drops it may feel like its overstayed its welcome.

3 sitreps out of 5

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Of the film's three leading men, not one of them is someone that I'd be happy to be stuck in a room with: LAPD detective Bud White (Crowe) acts as if he's above the law, allying himself with men who feel that they very much are; Ed Exley (Pearce) is a young cop who's governed by a strict moral code that's as sanctimonious as it is noble; and Jack Vincennes (Spacey) is an ego-driven prick who embodies the L.A. spirit of 'celebrity' status being everything, even though he's the least interesting of the trio.
Set against a backdrop of vice, prostitution and drugs, the film takes a while to hit its stride, but once it does it stays strong to the hard-hitting end. The tightly-woven plot occasionally gets buried under the taut layering, but a fiery clash of personalities keeps the Noir drama thundering along nicely.

3½ press labels out of 5

The King's Speech (2010)

The Duke of York, son of King George V, has a stammer that makes public speaking both problematic and terrifying. With his inaugural speech on the wireless looming, he seeks the aid of speech therapist Lionel Logue.
The grand settings are nice, but the real beauty is in the relationships that develop. With that in mind, Colin Firth doesn't get the credit he deserves as an actor; he proves once again that he's more than up to the task of carrying a lead role and giving it the nuances it deserves.
Geoffrey Rush as Lionel is great, too. His interactions with the Duke humanise the royal, showing him as more than just a privileged and pompous figurehead that the public at large were conditioned to respect and revere.
I wasn't at all surprised to discover after viewing that parts written for the stage were incorporated into the screenplay - they're easy to spot.

4 mouth marbles out of 5

THE ROVER [2014]

David Michôd's bleak Western-esque Australian road movie The Rover seems like it could what happens in the world of Mad Max before things get really, really bad.
Placed 10 years after some sort of economical collapse, it follows the story of a unhinged man hunting down his stolen car with the brother of the man who stole it.  Pearce plays the lead with calculated damaged precision, making the viewer dread the moments when he lets loose, while Robert Pattinson is wonderful as a twitchy, half-witted man who simply doesn't belong in a world so terrible.  With it's beautiful but desolate photography, memorable yet violent imagery, effectively unsettling music and award worthy performances galore the film unfortunately lacks in any sort of purpose or meaningful resolution.

3 flipped cars out of 5

Jack Irish: Dead Point (2014)

The third dose of TV Irish is based on the third book in Peter Temple's series. Jack's still helping Harry win big on the horses and apprenticing in carpentry in his spare time (aka reflecting on the current case), but the seedy side of his day job never really goes away. In Dead Point there's drugs, murder, blackmail and a red leather-bound book that the wrong hands are just itching to get a hold of. The balance between realism and movie drama is tipped a little more toward the latter but it’s exciting so is easy to forgive. I like that reminders of the past can catch even fictional characters unawares.

3½ business ends out of 5

Jack Irish: Black Tide (2012)

Jack’s still juggling more than one job and more than his fair share of personal demons in the second film based on Peter Temple’s books.
Most of the primary cast return. I was glad to see Aaron Pedersen there, but he didn't get as much to do as he did in Bad Debts (2012).
The story is made up of many little threads that don’t seem to want to weave together properly, but the dialogue is even better than before and almost every action Jack takes deepens the character, so it remains entertaining even when it gets confusing.

3 photographs out of 5

Jack Irish: Bad Debts (2012)

Guy Pearce plays the titular Jack, who’s Australian not Irish. He was once a well-adjusted criminal lawyer, but a tragic event changed his life forever. Now he’s a part-time private investigator and debt collector living from day to day off his wits. Aspects of an old case that didn't end well resurface and Jack gets dragged back into the murkiness.
I've not read the novels of Peter Temple on which the film is based, but that didn't stop me enjoying the story or the character, partly because I love the Aussie attitude. They don’t mince words.
Fans of TV detectives and sharp dialogue shouldn't be disappointed.

3 red right hands out of 5

Lockout (2012)

He's changed his name and lost the trademark eyepatch but he's not fooling anyone, Guy Pearce is Snake Plissken in Escape from MS One. That's what you're getting, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
I like Pearce, he's delivered some great performances in the past, but I'd not seen him in this kind of role before. He plays it with a tongue in cheek attitude that helped the film immensely. Even when delivering some corny one-liners he keeps his charm. A comedy/villainous Scotsman was the only other nice addition to a mostly bland cast.

2½ aliases out of 5

IRON MAN 3 [2013]

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black reunites with Robert Downey, Jr. on the third instalment of the ridiculously popular Iron Man franchise.
A little darker than the previous films, IM3 still delivers on the loud, vibrantly colored action sequences and enthusiastic performances from all parties involved.  The main attraction is the humorous chemistry & witty banter between RDJ and Don Cheadle, which I never tired of, unlike the climax, which was a lot of fun but eventually felt over-done and cliche.  Sure there's plenty of annoyances sprinkled throughout the film (particularly the introduction of an annoying kid) but it has just enough well-paced adrenaline and biting dialogue to rise above the half-baked previous film.

3 "bedtime stories" out of 5

The Time Machine (2002)

This version of the H G Wells story is a giant-sized turd, but it proffered some very exciting blink and you’ll miss them sci-fi ideas that could've been plundered to become the basis for something much better. Their inclusion was utterly baffling until I found out the screenplay was by John Logan; that pretty much explained everything.
It scores points for the titular machine, which was a fantastic piece of design, although I’d have liked some crazy pseudoscience to explain how it was able to traverse time. I care about such things. I also care about believable character motivations, which were also absent.

2 terrible words out of 5

LAWLESS [2012]

Director John Hillcoat & screenwriter Nick Cave adapt Matt Bondurant's historical crime novel The Wettest Country In The World with a violent and ruthless passion.

Lawless has all the brutality and harsh language you'd come to expect from Hillcoat & Cave and then a little bit more for good measure.  Each actor takes their roles quite seriously and it rewards with great effect and discomfort, particularly Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce.  
It's cold, dusty and harsh world where there's always music in the air.  Not for the weak of heart.

 4 tar & featherings out of 5

PROMETHEUS [2012]

Ridley Scott's first visit back to the Alien-verse since 1979, Prometheus, is a bit of a questionable one.

While it's nice to see a sci-fi film using physical sets and animatronics instead of 99.9% CGI, there's just too many elements missing to make it a bit disappointing.  The characters are bland and dumb as fuck, there's an extreme lack of menace and you can't help but feel that it went through rewrite hell.  However there are some great set-pieces and some VERY memorable scenes that will haunt me forever.

As a popcorn film it's an entertaining ride...as an Alien film, it's a colossal disappointment.

2½ Peter O'Toole's out of 5

MEMENTO [2000]

Director Christopher Nolan's neo-noir revenge thriller Memento is a fascinating watch indeed.  Utilizing the non-linear style of storytelling to the maximum, Nolan has a knack for constantly baffling audiences with twists and turns.  Unfortunately his characters have never really been all that interesting and that hurts the film during repeat viewings since you've solved the mystery.  Still the tense atmosphere and performances from Guy Pearce & Joe Pantoliano make for a great film to see at least once.

3 cases of Anterograde amnesia out of 5

The Proposition [2005]

Director John Hillcoat reunites with screenwriter/musician Nick Cave for the poetically brutal Australian western The Proposition.
Guy Pearce leads the cast as a captured outlaw in the 1880's let loose by the law to hunt down and kill his psychotic older brother played with great intimidation by Danny Huston. It's a merciless, gritty ride that makes no apologies for it's realistic portrayal of the racism, violence and lack of proper law in early Australia. This well-paced story about morals, loyalty and revenge could have benefited emotionally with a longer back story for the brothers. No matter, it's still a great western that captivates from start to finish.

4 disappearing Queenie's out of 5

THE HURT LOCKER [2008]

Point Break director, Kathryn Bigelow's intensely suspenseful Iraqi war film, The Hurt Locker is an adrenaline driven masterpiece that will leave you drained as the end credits begin rolling.
The beautifully detailed cinematography, hauntingly disturbing performances (particularly Jeremy Renner), well-timed action pieces and unsettling avant-garde score from Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders hypnotize you right up until the end.
It's angry, loud, desolate and so very, very foreign to the happy little lives we live behind our interwebs. Highly recommended.

5 easy choices made difficult and vise versas out of 5

Till Human Voices Wake Us (2002)

Regret, sadness and loss are things we try to avoid in life, but they often make great viewing in film. Till Human Voices deals with youth, aged wisdom, decisions and consequences, with just enough poetic and lyrical beauty in its composition to keep the misery at bay and the attention focussed. I don't know how to make it sound less boring without touching on the real reason it should be viewed. Worth it if you want to take a chance on something beautiful, but make sure to NOT read the ruinous spoiler blurb on the back of the box.

3 word association games out of 5

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2010)

There's nothing more disappointing than a movie you've been waiting 1+ years to see that doesn't live up to the hype or your expectations. This one was merely okay, not really scary, and after the critters show up (as seen in the trailer) there are no real surprises to be found. Mostly unsatisfying, with a few traces of suspense and creepy old house atmosphere.

2.5 heavy sighs out of 5